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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 lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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 skill
  2. toast — bread
  3. kid — child
  4. wax — to grow
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bass — low music
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stand — to bear
  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