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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: wax · saw · lean · tear · mark · fine · fork · kick

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lean — thin
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. fork — in a road
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tear — to rip

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