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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — the most important part
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — to drill
  10. date — the fruit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bore — to tire
  14. press — to push
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cue — a signal
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — for a lock

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