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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 116 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 · content · pit · key · bore · lean · rash · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. content — happy
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — a series
  24. pit — a hole

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