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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.

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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ground — a position
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. snap — to click
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. firm — decided
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mine — an explosive

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