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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — in music
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — a place of worship

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