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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ground — a position
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — a group
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. snap — to click
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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