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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — in a road

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