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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: bulb · safe · fork · wound · cue · bowl · wake · wax

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — to roll

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