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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
468
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: bank · roll · can · wake · rule · wax · foot · fork

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — a trail
  5. roll — a list
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — to grow
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — a cake
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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