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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — for pool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — a penalty

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