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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lean — thin
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — of a word
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rush — hurry
  12. shower — rain
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — the cause
  22. craft — boats
  23. root — of a plant
  24. scale — size or range

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