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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — a trail
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — in music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wax — to grow
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. trunk — of a tree

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