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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pass — a permit
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pit — in a race
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. craft — boats
  21. root — the cause
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wax — for sculpting

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