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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. key — in music
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — magic
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spell — letters
  24. mark — a grade

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