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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — boats
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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