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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — for catching
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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