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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. mark — a grade
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spell — magic
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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