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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: rock · dip · roll · fork · wax · sharp · temple · pitcher

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — a list
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — music

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