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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — boats
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. degree — an amount
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kid — to tease
  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