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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — to grow
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — rain
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pop — soda
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to succeed

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