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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wax — to grow
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fall — the season
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — in music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rock — music
  24. spring — the season

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