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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — to breed
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chip — for betting
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chip — to eat
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mate — a partner
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. staff — a stick

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