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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. object — to protest
  3. bound — obliged
  4. object — an aim
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — in music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. toast — bread
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — the most important part
  15. swing — music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pound — a weight
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wax — in the ear

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