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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — in music
  4. content — the amount
  5. suit — to fit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spring — of water
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — army training
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spring — the season
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — happy
  18. tear — to rip
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a trace

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