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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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