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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wax — for sculpting

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