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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. root — the cause
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — of law
  8. spell — a short time
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wax — to grow
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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