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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — a gift
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — letters
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — the time now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. present — there
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — a short time
  22. march — music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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