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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. last — finally
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. key — in music
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — magic

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