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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spring — the season
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spring — a coil
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — to grow
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spring — of water

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