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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — an aim
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — to push
  9. object — to protest
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — for digging
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — a thing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — an explosive

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