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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — to grow
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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