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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 · bear · wax · lie · mug · lean · clip · hand

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. key — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — thin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mug — a face
  13. clip — a video
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hand — help
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  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