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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. craft — a skill

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