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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a document
  11. spell — magic
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to confront
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — a short time

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