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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: tube · mug · wax · row · fork · object · spell · bulb

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wax — to grow
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. row — a line
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spell — magic
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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