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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — the most important part
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bore — to drill
  21. march — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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