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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: scale · wax · last · bear · fork · can · row · net

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. net — for catching
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fork — in a road
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — in music
  18. last — final
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — to be able to
  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