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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bank — of a river
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. kid — child
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — in music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. roll — a list
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stand — on your feet

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