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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wax — to grow
  7. key — in music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. squash — the sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rush — a thrill

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