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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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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: bulb · last · fork · wax · fall · tear · chip · branch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. branch — a division
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. last — to go on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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