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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mark — a trace
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. plane — a tool
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mug — a face
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. key — in music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kick — in football

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