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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: wax · spell · toast · ground · cabinet · last · foot · key

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spell — letters
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — to go on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. last — final
  21. key — in music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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