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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 a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — a trace
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. key — in music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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