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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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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: mug · present · file · fork · race · wax · clip · cue

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. present — the time now
  3. race — a contest
  4. file — a tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — for paper
  9. file — a document
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — a signal
  19. present — there
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — a gift
  23. cue — for pool
  24. clip — a video

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