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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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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: cue · saw · fork · branch · pound · wake · wax · deal

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pound — a weight

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