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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · key · racket · chip · cap · prune · lean · wax

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lean — thin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cap — a hat
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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