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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to click
  3. bound — certain
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. field — for sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  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