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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 124 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a music group
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. file — a tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. deal — to handle
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a ring
  24. file — a line of people

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