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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: wax · march · ruler · tube · craft · key · object · cold

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cold — an illness
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — for a lock
  7. object — to protest
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — music
  21. key — in music
  22. cold — not warm
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — a monarch

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