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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — a match
  9. fork — in a road
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — to cool the air

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