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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: tear · cabinet · hide · wax · spell · fork · calf · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spell — magic
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — for sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spell — letters
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — of a king
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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