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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 116 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: wax · row · safe · wound · spring · face · stand · key

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — of water
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. face — to point toward
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — for a lock
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wax — to grow
  17. face — to confront
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — in music
  21. row — a line
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — the season

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