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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wake — a trail
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — for betting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wax — to grow
  22. snap — to click
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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