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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. plane — a tool
  20. key — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. bulb — of a plant

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