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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to click
  17. season — in sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. date — the fruit

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