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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a skill
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. object — an aim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  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