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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — a path
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rule — government

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