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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — the underground
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hand — help
  24. stock — shares

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