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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
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: clip · wax · key · press · track · nail · bay · mouse

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a song
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — in music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. clip — a video
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. press — newspapers

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