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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — music
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — all right
  21. wax — to grow
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fine — high quality
  24. dip — a sauce

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