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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.

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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. band — a ring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. key — the most important part
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — of ice
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a hat

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