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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — a path
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — of water
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. track — a song
  18. chest — a box
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — to be able to
  23. key — the most important part
  24. current — electric

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