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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · deal · coach · fork · squash · mark · wax · file

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — a grade
  10. sharp — clever
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. file — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. file — a line of people

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