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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. land — ground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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