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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mug — a face
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — boats
  7. rash — a series
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rock — a stone
  18. snap — to click
  19. fall — the season
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — a handicraft

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