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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. content — happy
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tear — to rip
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. root — of a word
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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