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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · coach · wake · wax · file · board · stick · fork

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — in music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wax — to grow
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — to get on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wax — for sculpting

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