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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · wax · roll · cabinet · wave · key · cap · ground

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ground — a position
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. key — the most important part

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