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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · temple · patient · wax · spring · toast · racket · foot

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. toast — bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spring — the season
  20. foot — a measure
  21. spring — of water
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. racket — for tennis

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