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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rock — music
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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