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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. craft — boats
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. clip — a video
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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