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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 · band · wax · scale · bound · ball · drill · wind

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. drill — army training
  4. scale — in music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — the most important part
  7. band — a ring
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ball — a great time
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — for a lock

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