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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. charge — a price
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. craft — a skill
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — a container
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — thin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — in control
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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