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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 · key · wound · object · rush · chest · foot · perch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. perch — the fish
  12. object — an aim
  13. key — the most important part
  14. object — a thing
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — in music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — to protest

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