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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — of water
  3. spell — letters
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — magic
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — certain
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wax — in the ear

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