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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 116 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. key — in music
  6. march — the month
  7. key — for a lock
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pass — a permit
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. snap — to click
  17. cue — for pool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — music
  24. key — the most important part

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