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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — the season
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cue — a signal

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