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

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stock — shares
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. key — the most important part
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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