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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.

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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. squash — the sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. last — final
  24. fork — in a road

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