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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. swing — music
  15. march — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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