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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.

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: swing · fan · lie · fork · rash · calf · wax · bank

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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