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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — to go on
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — finally
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — final
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — to bear
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. file — a tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — to grow

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