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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — a thing
  12. stem — to come from
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. object — to protest
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. staff — employees
  21. perch — the fish
  22. staff — a stick
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — of a plant

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