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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fine — high quality
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. suit — in cards
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. mug — to rob
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mug — a face

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