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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. root — of a plant
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — farmland
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. root — the cause
  14. drill — army training
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — of a word

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