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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: wax · pound · firm · staff · net · trunk · bound · rush

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rush — hurry
  9. firm — a company
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — for catching
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. firm — decided
  21. net — after costs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bound — tied together
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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