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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · key · trunk · kid · arm · mug · current · wound

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — to grow
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. current — of water
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — a face
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — child
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. current — happening now
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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