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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. file — a tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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