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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. track — a path
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rest — a break
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. race — a contest
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — to keep track
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. race — humankind
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. mark — a grade
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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