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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 120 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: wake · fork · plane · tear · mate · leaves · wax · chip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tear — to rip
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — a partner
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tear — from crying

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