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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: wax · sharp · mate · craft · track · court · fork · rash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rash — a series
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. court — for sport
  9. craft — boats
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. court — of a king
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mate — to breed
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — to eat with

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