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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 124 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — in music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. field — farmland
  9. capital — a city
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — obliged
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — money
  24. key — for a lock

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