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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — goods
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — to grow
  18. staff — employees
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — boats

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