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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — completely
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — certain
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — to grow
  22. swing — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lie — to recline

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