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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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. spring — of water
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fall — to drop
  24. date — on the calendar

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