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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.

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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: saw · rule · wax · chest · key · fork · date · rest

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rule — government
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — a break
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rule — a law

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