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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — an aim
  9. hand — help
  10. key — in music
  11. object — a thing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cue — a hint
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. temple — side of the head

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