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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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — high quality
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. key — in music

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