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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. face — to confront
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. face — to point toward
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. firm — steady
  10. mark — a trace
  11. firm — decided
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. drill — a practice
  20. firm — a company
  21. fork — in a road
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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