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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: swing · staff · wax · press · firm · pound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. staff — employees
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — employees
  8. press — newspapers
  9. firm — a company
  10. swing — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pound — a weight
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — to push

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