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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: lash · ball · stick · game · key · current · wax · wave

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a match
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — in music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — of water
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — electric
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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