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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — army training
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mark — a trace
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a grade
  14. file — a document
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. file — a tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — in an idiom

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