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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.

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: chip · roll · pop · wax · spell · file · bear · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pop — music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spell — magic
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a tool
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — letters
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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