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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bark — of a tree

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