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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. key — in music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — a trace
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. deal — to handle

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