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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rock — a stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — a line
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — rain
  16. charge — a price
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. row — to paddle
  23. key — in music
  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