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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · wax · fork · wound · track · cue · safe · date

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — a signal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a path
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a song
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wax — to grow
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wake — a trail
  24. safe — out of danger

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