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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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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: saw · object · drill · perch · fork · jam · wax · fall

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. saw — the tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. drill — army training
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — the season
  22. object — to protest
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — a garden tool

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