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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ground — a position
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — crushed
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ground — the earth
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wax — in the ear

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