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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — of the year
  11. object — an aim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — the month
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. march — the month
  18. object — to protest
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — a grade

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