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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: dip · wax · leaves · pop · staff · mug · key · clip

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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 — the most important part
  4. clip — to cut
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mug — a face
  13. clip — for paper
  14. dip — to sink
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — soda
  17. clip — a video
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — a cup
  20. key — for a lock
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wax — to grow
  23. staff — a stick
  24. leaves — of a tree

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