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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. present — there
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. present — a gift
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. march — the month

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