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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kid — child
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. staff — employees
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lean — to rest against

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