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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — to come down
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — ground
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. land — a country
  13. club — a group
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. wax — to grow
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — a skill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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