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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chair — a leader
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chair — to sit on
  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