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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spell — magic
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. drill — the tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rock — a stone

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