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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: net · pitch · safe · wax · lash · chair · fork · wake

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — after costs
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — in sport
  24. chair — to sit on

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