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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · wax · file · stick · coach · spell · sharp · wake

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. file — a tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — a trail
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. coach — a trainer

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