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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: spring · wax · staff · board · fork · snap · bear · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. snap — to click
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. last — final
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. staff — employees
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spring — the season

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