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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. craft — boats
  4. squash — to crush
  5. content — happy
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. craft — a skill
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. content — the amount

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