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

Word bank: fork · row · mate · prune · file · jam · snap · wax

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mate — to breed
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mate — a friend
  11. snap — to click
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. row — to paddle
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. row — a line
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. file — a line of people
  24. jam — a tight spot

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