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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: plane · wax · bulb · fork · safe · row · rule · wound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. row — a line
  3. rule — government
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — to paddle
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rule — a law
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — in a road

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