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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a football final

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