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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: key · fork · bowl · saw · band · wax · mug · hand

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. key — in music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a ring
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fork — to eat with

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