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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — in control
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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