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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — there
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — to grow
  11. present — the time now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. present — a gift
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bound — obliged

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