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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.

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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 · bark · key · wax · branch · lie · saw · stock

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fork — in a road
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wax — to grow

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