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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — magic
  4. march — music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — low music
  13. key — in music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. face — to confront
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. face — to point toward

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