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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stock — shares
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. key — in music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. stock — goods
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. chip — to eat
  22. key — the most important part
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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