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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — in music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. key — the most important part
  12. swing — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. spell — letters
  24. wax — to grow

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