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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 · net · wax · key · object · bore · pound · roll

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. key — the most important part
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. object — a thing
  6. net — for catching
  7. roll — a cake
  8. key — in music
  9. object — to protest
  10. last — finally
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pound — a weight
  15. last — final
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a list
  23. last — to go on
  24. net — after costs

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