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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chest — of your body
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. present — a gift
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. race — humankind
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — the cause
  16. present — there
  17. root — of a plant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. chest — a box
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — in the ear

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