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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. current — happening now
  15. cue — for pool
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — a signal
  18. craft — boats
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. toast — the most admired

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