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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 120 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: straw · calf · cabinet · last · wax · fork · chip · field

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — in a road
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. field — for sport
  12. last — to go on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. last — finally
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — final
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. field — a subject
  24. chip — to eat

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