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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.

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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spell — magic
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — a price
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. charge — in control
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — electricity
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. field — for sport

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