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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.

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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ball — a great time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — in music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — for a lock
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. jam — in traffic

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