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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — in music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a path
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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