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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — of a word
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pound — a weight
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — boats
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pound — for dogs

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