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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.

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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: wound · mate · wax · key · board · hand · bound · sharp

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hand — in cards
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — help
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mate — to breed
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — a committee
  24. hand — part of the body

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