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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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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: mark · wax · ruler · club · file · lash · fork · row

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — a trace
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. file — a line of people
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. club — a group
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — in a road
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — a line

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