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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — certain
  7. cold — not warm
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bound — obliged
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cold — an illness

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