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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of law
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. track — a path

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