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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: straw · mine · patient · vault · rush · suit · key · wax

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — hurry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — in cards
  13. key — for a lock
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. key — in music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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