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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kid — child
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. land — a country
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a face
  15. pop — music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — to grow
  19. land — to come down
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — hurry
  22. object — an aim
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — to protest

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