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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. game — a match
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — certain

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