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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. key — in music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ball — a round shape

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