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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. present — there
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — in a road
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — thin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — the time now
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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