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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · wax · key · game · face · file

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. key — for a lock
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. file — a document
  6. game — wild animals
  7. key — in music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. face — part of the head
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to confront
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wax — to grow
  15. game — a match
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. suit — in cards

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