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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · fork · bass · wax · trunk · calf · mine · chair

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — of the leg

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