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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — the most important part
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. key — for a lock
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hand — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — of the year
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. season — in sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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