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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stock — shares
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. key — in music
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stock — goods
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — to drop

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