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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
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: fork · saw · cue · chair · bear · staff · wax · sharp

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chair — a leader
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. staff — employees
  24. bear — the animal

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