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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · wax · pit · scale · snap · tube · fork · mug

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — a face
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — a thing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. scale — in music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — an aim
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — to protest

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