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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 120 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: cold · pop · bulb · hide · key · arm · rock · wax

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — the most important part
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rock — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — to visit

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