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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mug — to rob
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a round shape

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