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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rule — a law
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rule — government
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bore — to drill

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