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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.

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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. firm — decided
  6. ball — a dance
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — the most important part
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — in music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. content — the amount
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — size or range
  22. firm — a company
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — hurry

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