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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: key · fall · net · wax · suit · ground · tear · pitcher

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. net — in sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — for a lock
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fall — the season

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