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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 116 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: suit · mine · band · mug · wax · cell · key · bore

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — in cards
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wax — to grow
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. key — in music
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mug — a face
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a rubber band

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