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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · spell · hand · key · wax · bank · stick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spell — letters
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — help
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

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