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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — to bear
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — magic
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — all right
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. last — final
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. bound — obliged
  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