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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: key · leaves · wax · content · season · field · lie · vault

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — a subject
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — of the year
  16. vault — a safe
  17. field — for sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — farmland
  21. content — happy
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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