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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. craft — boats
  18. track — a song
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — a trail
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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