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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. clip — for paper

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