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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. key — for a lock
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fall — the season
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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