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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. key — for a lock
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. board — to get on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — boats
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. key — in music

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