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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. key — in music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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