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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 120 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 · object · fall · degree · sharp · fork · saw · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. object — a thing
  7. degree — from a university
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — an aim
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fall — to drop

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