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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — clothes
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. nail — for a hammer

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