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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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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: wax · rule · sharp · fork · trunk · stick · calf · cue

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rule — government
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cue — a hint

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