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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — to breed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. can — to be able to
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. charge — electricity
  13. band — a music group
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. key — in music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mate — a partner

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