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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: fork · wax · rock · file · bowl · bat · key · saw

  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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a document
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. file — a tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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