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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — a skill

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