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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mate — to breed
  4. craft — boats
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — a friend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — after costs
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a partner

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