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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — the most important part

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