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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
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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: roll · cue · foot · key · wax · wound · shower · chair

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — in music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chair — a leader
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a signal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. roll — a list
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — for pool

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