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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: wax · fork · bay · stem · tube · perch · saw · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fork — a garden tool

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