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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
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: drill · key · hide · spring · vault · wax · face · prune

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — part of the head
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — the season
  8. drill — army training
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — a practice
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — a safe
  14. face — to confront
  15. spring — of water
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. drill — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spring — a coil
  24. key — in music

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