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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — in music

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