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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's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — to recline
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rash — a series
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — boats
  24. saw — the tool

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