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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: rest · fan · spell · date · club · key · wax · last

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. club — a group
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. club — for golf
  6. spell — magic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — letters
  9. rest — a break
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — final
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — finally
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. key — for a lock

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