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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. date — the fruit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — the most important part
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — thin
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — in music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bass — low 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