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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: wind · rule · spell · wax · bulb · key · scale · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — a law
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rule — government
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — to grow
  24. key — in music

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