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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — high quality
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fine — all right
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wax — for sculpting

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