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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 120 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: hand · present · pit · pound · board · tear · wax · firm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tear — to rip
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. firm — a company
  6. present — there
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pound — a weight
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. firm — steady
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hand — help
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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