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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. craft — boats
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. shower — rain
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. row — a line
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — a face
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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