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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. craft — boats
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ball — a dance
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. clip — to cut
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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