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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 116 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: fork · row · stock · snap · spell · object · mark · wax

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stock — shares
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — goods
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mark — a grade

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