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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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 — a garden tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — farmland
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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