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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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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: key · rest · chest · club · toast · mark · wax · lash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. key — the most important part
  4. club — a group
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — for golf
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mark — a grade
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. key — in music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. key — for a lock
  24. toast — bread

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