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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — for a lock
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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