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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kid — to tease
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — to grow
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — obliged
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. cell — in biology
  24. key — for a lock

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