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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — a hat
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. board — to get on
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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