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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. object — to protest
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — in music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. object — an aim
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — a thing
  23. vault — a safe
  24. track — a path

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