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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 120 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: game · coach · tube · wax · object · fork · craft · file

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. game — a match
  6. object — to protest
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. object — a thing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — to grow
  17. file — a tool
  18. object — an aim
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — a container
  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