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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 · band · clip · track · pop · safe · fall · firm

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — a path
  3. clip — to cut
  4. band — a music group
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — a company
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fall — to drop
  15. clip — a video
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. track — a song
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — in the ear

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