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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. land — a country
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. land — ground
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — to come down

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