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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. branch — a division
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — in music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — to grow
  23. firm — decided
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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