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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mark — a grade
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. object — an aim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — to confront
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. net — for catching
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — part of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a trace

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