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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. last — final
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — a gift
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fork — in a road
  24. last — to go on

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