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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 120 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — a series
  5. wax — to grow
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — a division
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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