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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. key — for a lock
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. roll — a list
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spring — the season

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