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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.

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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: key · rest · cell · object · mouse · bank · wax · sharp

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — in music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. object — to protest
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — an aim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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