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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: spring · lean · pound · club · wax · toast · key · sharp

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. key — in music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. sharp — clever
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. spring — the season
  14. lean — thin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wax — to grow
  20. toast — bread
  21. club — a group
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — of water
  24. pound — for dogs

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