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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: spell · key · content · scale · foot · wave · staff · straw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. content — happy
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — for a lock
  10. scale — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spell — a short time
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — size or range
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. key — the most important part
  24. content — the amount

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