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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — magic
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. squash — the sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — thin
  9. season — in sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. track — to keep track
  14. key — in music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. track — a path
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. season — of the year
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spell — letters

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