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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.

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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 · cue · rash · trunk · wax · mark · cell · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cue — a hint
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cue — a signal

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