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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.

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: ball · tear · firm · cabinet · pitcher · trunk · wax · kick

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — to grow
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. firm — steady
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — a company
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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