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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 · rash · net · snap · wax · march · bore · mouse

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — in sport
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rash — a series
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — gave birth

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