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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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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: wax · bulb · bear · fork · land · bay · stick · lie

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — to come down
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — a country
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — ground

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