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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. race — humankind
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — in music
  10. race — a contest
  11. wax — to grow
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — the arms race
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wax — for sculpting

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