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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. scale — in music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. staff — employees
  15. root — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. root — of a word
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — completely
  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