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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — magic
  7. last — final
  8. cue — a signal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cue — for pool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — finally
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — all right
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — high quality

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