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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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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: hand · prune · jam · firm · cabinet · wax · key · stand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. firm — steady
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — decided
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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