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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — magic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. last — final
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spell — letters
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. last — finally

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