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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — in music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — a container
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — magic
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — letters
  24. march — music

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