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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: fan · wax · fork · nail · deal · root

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. root — the cause
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. root — of a word

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