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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. key — in music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rash — a series
  10. key — for a lock
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spring — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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