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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · land · bear · wax · file · key · racket · fork

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — to come down
  3. wax — to grow
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. file — a tool
  23. key — in music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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