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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
468
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: march · wax · firm · fork · face · pitcher · mouse · wound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. face — part of the head
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. march — music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wound — an injury

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