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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: leaves · mate · fall · scale · suit · row · fork · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a line
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — in a road
  17. row — to paddle
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mate — a friend
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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