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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a document
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — a song
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a committee

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