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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: cue · wax · temple · bat · coach · key · pound · bound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bound — certain
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — the most important part
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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