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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
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: cabinet · wake · wax · charge · key · kid · game · spring

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — of water
  9. kid — child
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — electricity
  21. game — wild animals
  22. kid — to tease
  23. game — a match
  24. key — in music

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