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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — an agreement

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