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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — money
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — the season
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — to grow
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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