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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: stick · lean · race · charge · fork · row · net · wax

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — humankind
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. net — after costs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — a line
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — in sport
  16. race — a contest
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. row — to paddle
  20. charge — a price
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to bend

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