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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 · bowl · object · land · rest · wax · last · fan

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. object — a thing
  4. land — a country
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — in music
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — to grow
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — final
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. land — ground
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — a supporter

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