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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
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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: spell · file · spring · wax · safe · jam · fork · bass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. file — a tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bass — low music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — the fish
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — of water
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spring — the season
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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