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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — after costs
  6. last — to go on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — for catching
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — in sport

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