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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.

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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: pound · wax · key · safe · ball · bulb · current · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spring — a coil

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