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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lash · bass · vault · sharp · mug · wax · game

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — a face
  5. bass — low music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fork — in a road
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — an eyelash

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