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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. stem — to come from
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. plane — a tool
  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