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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — the most important part
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — in a road
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fine — high quality
  24. calf — a young animal

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