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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — happy
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — to recline
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. content — the amount
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — to grow

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