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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — the season
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. race — humankind
  12. bore — to drill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — of water
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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