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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. land — to come down
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. key — the most important part
  11. band — a music group
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — a country
  24. band — a ring

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