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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. land — a country
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. land — to come down
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wake — a trail

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