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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — for catching
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wax — for sculpting

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