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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fall — the season
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — there
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — the time now

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