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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spell — magic
  3. court — of a king
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spell — a short time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. court — for sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — boats
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — letters
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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