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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spring — a coil
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. key — in music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mug — a face
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — the season
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mug — a cup
  24. deal — to handle

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