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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — to breed
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — a path
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. key — in music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — to grow

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