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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — a song
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. craft — boats
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — to paddle
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. row — a line
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. track — a path
  24. date — on the calendar

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