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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. capital — money
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. row — a line
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — letters
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — boats
  24. spell — magic

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