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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: key · mouse · cap · rush · wake · clip · wave · pitcher

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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