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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: firm · fine · wind · lie · mark · chair · bulb · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — steady
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. firm — decided
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. wax — to grow

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