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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: deal · cabinet · bound · rest · last · wax · firm · pitch

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. last — final
  8. wax — to grow
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — steady
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. last — finally
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — decided

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