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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · jam · last · game · toast · wax · fork · tube

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fall — the season
  13. toast — bread
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. last — final
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — a match
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. last — finally

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