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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 124 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tube — the underground
  5. key — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — a container
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — an aim
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cabinet — ministers

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