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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.

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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: ruler · cue · key · wax · plane · mug · ground · season

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cue — a signal
  8. key — in music
  9. ground — a position
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — the earth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a face
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. season — of the year
  24. ruler — for measuring

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