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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lean — thin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — to pay attention

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