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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · row · key · snap · cue · saw · pitcher · wax

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a signal
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — in music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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