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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. craft — boats
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — a series
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. court — of law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. court — for sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — a grade

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