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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — low music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — boats
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ground — the earth
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — a position
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — a tin
  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