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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: fork · stick · wax · fine · bulb · wake · fall · bear

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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