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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — army training
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chest — a box
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. key — in music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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