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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · capital · fork · mark · bay · bear · wax · calf

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. capital — a city
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mark — a grade
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — for sculpting

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