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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — the most important part
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. object — a thing
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — to protest
  19. spell — a short time
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — in music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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