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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — in music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — magic
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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