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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — to bear
  8. snap — to click
  9. march — the month
  10. court — of law
  11. march — music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — in a race
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — for sport
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — for sculpting

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