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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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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — to grow
  14. key — in music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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