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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — a division
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. board — to get on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pop — soda
  21. key — the most important part
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — to visit

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