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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wax — to grow

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