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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: hand · jam · date · toast · cue · key · wound · wax

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cue — a signal
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wax — to grow
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. key — the most important part
  20. date — the fruit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — for pool
  24. jam — a tight spot

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