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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · wax · capital · jam · mouse · fan · stick · key

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. capital — a city
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — in music
  23. capital — money
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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