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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. track — a song
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — the fruit
  12. track — to keep track
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — in music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — a path
  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