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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — of a plant

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