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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.

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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: saw · firm · can · safe · wax · press · bat · ground

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — a position
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — a company
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. can — to be able to
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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