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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. board — a committee
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fork — in a road
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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