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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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