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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 116 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.

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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. capital — a city
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — in music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — money
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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