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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. perch — the fish
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — thin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. craft — boats
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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