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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: mark · fall · cabinet · wax · pound · lean · mouse · key

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — the season
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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