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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wax — to grow
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fall — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — an untruth

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