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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: swing · key · hand · rock · wake · wax · stand · firm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hand — help
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. firm — decided
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — a company
  16. rock — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — a stone

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