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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 124 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. band — a music group
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. key — the most important part
  5. firm — decided
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — a company
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. firm — steady

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