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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. shower — rain
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rash — hasty
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pit — a hole
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mine — for digging
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rash — a series
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. swing — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — boats
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. swing — to play on

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