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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — all right
  3. spring — of water
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. club — for dancing
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for golf
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. club — a group
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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