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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 116 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: fork · mouse · prune · track · rest · net · lash · wax

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — a path
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — for catching
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a song
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — in sport

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