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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — in music
  3. object — a thing
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wax — to grow
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — child
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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