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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — child
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — in music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. file — a document
  20. firm — a company
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — to hurry

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