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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: pitcher · cue · sharp · rest · bulb · wax · safe · key

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — a break
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — for light
  24. safe — out of danger

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