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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: foot · land · scale · bay · straw · fork · arm · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fork — in a road
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. land — to come down

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