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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. key — the most important part
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — a trail
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wax — to grow
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bound — obliged

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