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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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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: tube · face · key · kick · fork · present · pop · wax

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — the underground
  4. present — a gift
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — the time now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — to confront
  16. pop — music
  17. key — in music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — there
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kick — with a leg

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