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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — thin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. present — a gift
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — an illness
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. key — in music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. present — there
  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