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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spring — the season
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. swing — music
  24. wax — to grow

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