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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — in music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wax — to grow
  11. drill — a practice
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — side of the head

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