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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — a company
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — to keep track
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — decided
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a path
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com