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

Word bank: march · wax · cabinet · spring · row · firm · safe · face

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — to confront
  9. row — to paddle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — a coil
  21. march — music
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wax — to grow

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