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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kid — child
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — in the ear

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