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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: stand · wax · nail · face · cue · file · fork · racket

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to confront
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — to grow
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — in a road

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