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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — a lid
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. current — electric
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. squash — the sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. current — happening now
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — a series
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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