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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — in music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. club — for golf
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — for a lock
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. rash — hasty
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. firm — a company
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. firm — steady

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