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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — magic
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spell — letters
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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