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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
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: charge · spring · key · wax · bowl · stick · deal · hand

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — help
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. charge — a price
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — in cards
  20. key — in music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spring — the season
  24. charge — in control

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