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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wax — to grow
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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