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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — a position
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rash — a series
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — a thing
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ground — the earth
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. object — an aim
  23. rash — hasty
  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