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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — in music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. net — in sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bore — to drill
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. key — for a lock

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