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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: drill · fall · wave · key · chair · jam · rash · fork

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — a series
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — army training
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fall — the season
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fork — in a road
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rash — on the skin

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