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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — government
  9. staff — employees
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spell — letters

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