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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · wax · coach · prune · rash · rest · firm · safe

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. firm — a company
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rash — hasty
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — a series
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. firm — decided
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — in golf

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