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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — boats
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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