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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. clip — a video
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — in music
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — a break
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — the amount
  18. clip — to cut
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. clip — for paper
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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