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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 · wax · mine · safe · perch · kid · staff · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — to grow
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. kid — to tease
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. staff — a stick
  18. perch — the fish
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. firm — decided
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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