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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — help

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