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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — boats
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bass — low music
  22. rest — a break
  23. net — after costs
  24. stand — on your feet

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