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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pit — in a race
  6. key — the most important part
  7. capital — a city
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rest — a break
  17. capital — money
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — music

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