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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 120 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.

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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: key · race · bear · rock · wax · safe · craft · kid

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — a contest
  4. key — in music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — the arms race
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kid — child
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — humankind
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rock — a stone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — the most important part
  23. craft — boats
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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