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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.

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: cabinet · toast · spell · prune · court · key · coach · wax

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — letters
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wax — to grow
  9. court — of law
  10. key — the most important part
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. court — for sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of a king
  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