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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — after costs
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. last — final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — in sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — finally
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — in music

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