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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 116 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
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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: craft · wax · key · ground · deal · last · patient · swing

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ground — a position
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. swing — music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — finally
  14. ground — crushed
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. craft — boats
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — in music
  24. wax — in the ear

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