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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — to grow
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — in music
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. club — for dancing
  17. key — for a lock
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lean — to bend
  21. club — a group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — to recline

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