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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — the cause
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — all right
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — the most important part
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a word
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fine — high quality

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