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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stand — to bear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. key — the most important part
  23. track — a path
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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