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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. key — for a lock
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — in music
  6. spell — letters
  7. firm — a company
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. firm — steady
  12. spell — magic
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — the most important part
  20. plane — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. firm — decided
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fan — a supporter

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