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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.

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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — a match
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wax — to grow
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — a safe
  16. charge — in control
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — a price
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. key — the most important part

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