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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — a song
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — to grow
  9. suit — clothes
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — army training
  15. craft — a skill
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bat — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — for sculpting

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