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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: bear · net · bulb · wax · swing · wind · fork · craft

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — for catching
  10. wind — moving air
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. net — in sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — music
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. swing — in golf

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