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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. land — ground
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. land — to come down
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mug — to rob
  23. land — a country
  24. kick — in football

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