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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: cap · wax · staff · cell · degree · face · key · safe

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — of ice
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — part of the head
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — to confront
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — in biology
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to point toward
  18. staff — employees
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cap — a hat
  21. key — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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