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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. key — in music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. row — to paddle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  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