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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: swing · safe · cue · key · chest · scale · wax · root

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chest — a box
  6. swing — to play on
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — a hint
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — in golf

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