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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — there
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — to grow
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — a gift
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pit — a hole

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