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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a skill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. net — for catching
  9. craft — boats
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — a position
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. net — after costs
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — for baseball

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