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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — there
  4. rock — music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. present — a gift
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — a short time
  16. present — the time now
  17. roll — a list
  18. key — in music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. spell — letters
  21. rock — a stone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spell — magic
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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