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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — letters
  9. fine — all right
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — magic
  21. squash — the sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — high quality

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