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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — army training
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. drill — a practice
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — a stone
  20. craft — boats
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. drill — the tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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