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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 · last · bark · nail · present · firm · pit · swing

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — a gift
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. firm — a company
  11. last — final
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — a hole
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — music
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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