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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
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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: key · wax · squash · staff · pit · board · clip · date

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. key — for a lock
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — to crush
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — the sport
  14. clip — for paper
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — a video
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — to get on
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. key — the most important part

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