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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kick — in football
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cell — in biology
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — a phone
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — to grow
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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