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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — happy
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. current — electric
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — a gift
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — to grow
  24. craft — boats

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