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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mug — a face
  12. key — in music
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lie — an untruth

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