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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. kick — in football
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hand — help
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — to grow

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