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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. march — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. band — a music group
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a ring
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mine — for digging
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — to drill

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