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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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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rash — hasty
  8. deal — to handle
  9. land — a country
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rash — a series
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ball — a round shape

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