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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — for a lock
  11. object — a thing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a ring
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — in music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. wax — in the ear

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