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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: ground · wax · pound · key · safe · kid · stock · face

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — a position
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — in the ear

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