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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
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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: rock · bound · present · key · mate · wax · kick · chair

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bound — certain
  6. chair — a leader
  7. present — the time now
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — for a lock
  10. present — there
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — in music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. present — a gift
  24. rock — music

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