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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.

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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 · sharp · current · race · lash · spring · key

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — for a lock
  5. current — happening now
  6. cue — a hint
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. race — humankind
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — the season
  19. current — of water
  20. spring — of water
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — for pool

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