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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. file — a document
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. roll — a cake
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. can — to be able to

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