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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: rule · wake · fork · wax · nail · plane · staff · chest

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. chest — a box
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — in geometry

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