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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: pop · rush · can · wax · stick · pass · lean · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lean — thin
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to succeed

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