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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — magic
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — help
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — in music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — of a river
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bank — for money

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