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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: current · plane · rush · key · staff · last · fork · march

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. march — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — final
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — a stick
  24. current — of water

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