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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — to protest
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. key — in music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — a thing
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — to fit

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