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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — in music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — in football
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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