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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — boats
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — hurry
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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