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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — to rob
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — a cup
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — the underground
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mug — a face

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