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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — a short time
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spell — letters
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. roll — a list
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bore — to tire

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