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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — boats
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — in the ear

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