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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. key — in music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. race — a contest
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. race — the arms race
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a great time

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