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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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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: bulb · dip · temple · object · cell · deal · wax · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — to grow
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. deal — to handle
  13. dip — to sink
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. object — an aim
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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