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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.

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: cabinet · wax · wound · snap · stand · key · ground · spell

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. wax — to grow
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. key — for a lock

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