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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. craft — boats
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — for catching
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. net — after costs
  24. safe — out of danger

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