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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: wax · staff · pitcher · firm · row · wave · object · hand

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. object — to protest
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. firm — decided
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hand — in cards
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — help
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. firm — steady

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