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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: saw · wound · wax · fork · cabinet · prune · snap · ball

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a great time
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — the tool

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