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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: fine · stock · drill · roll · wax · straw · wake · fork

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. stock — goods
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fork — in a road
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stock — shares
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fine — high quality
  24. straw — a straw man

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