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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 found your soul ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mate — a friend
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fork — in a road
  24. key — in music

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