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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. present — a gift
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. present — there
  17. rash — hasty
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rash — a series

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