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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — wild animals
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — in a road

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