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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — there
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — a gift
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. present — the time now
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — thin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. deal — a big deal

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