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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: tear · firm · press · calf · present · craft · fork · wax

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. firm — decided
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — the time now
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tear — to rip
  14. craft — boats
  15. press — to push
  16. present — a gift
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — a publisher
  21. present — there
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — newspapers

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