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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. craft — boats
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. craft — a skill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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