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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — a break
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. last — finally
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — final
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — to bear
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. craft — a skill
  23. net — after costs
  24. wax — for sculpting

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