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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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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — in music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — the time now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — there
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. trunk — of a tree

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