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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. key — in music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — to grow
  12. firm — a company
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. firm — decided
  19. key — for a lock
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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