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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.

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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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