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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. key — the most important part
  8. craft — boats
  9. key — for a lock
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — decided
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cell — in biology
  16. firm — steady
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cell — a phone
  22. firm — a company
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — a measure

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