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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. court — of law
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — the cause
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of a king
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rest — what's left
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fall — the season
  24. root — of a word

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