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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rule — government
  24. season — of the year

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