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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 · stand · fine · jam · snap · date · mate

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. snap — to click
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fine — all right
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fork — in a road
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wax — for sculpting

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