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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: pit · rule · key · firm · wax · trunk · mate · tear

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mate — a partner
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — in a race
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rule — government
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — a company
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rule — to rule out

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