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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. fork — in a road
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — electric
  12. season — of the year
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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