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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — for golf
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. club — a group
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tear — to rip
  13. club — for dancing
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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