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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: wake · lie · leaves · wax · fork · mouse · key · lash

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wax — to grow
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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