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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: current · wound · wax · firm · pitch · deal · row · lean

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — decided
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — a company
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — of water
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. firm — steady
  21. current — electric
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitch — completely

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