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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — a skill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wax — in the ear

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