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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · fan · pitcher · deal · snap · date · wax · wake

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — for a lock
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — in music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — the most important part

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