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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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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: club · wax · safe · lash · wake · craft · degree · firm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. degree — from a university
  3. firm — decided
  4. wax — to grow
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. craft — a skill
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — an amount
  17. club — for golf
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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