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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a music group
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mug — a cup
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mug — a face
  23. bound — certain
  24. prune — to trim

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