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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: deal · rest · toast · key · suit · field · bound · wax

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. toast — bread
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — in music
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — clothes
  12. key — for a lock
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bound — certain
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — to fit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. field — a subject

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