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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — to keep track
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — for a lock
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chest — a box
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a path

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