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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — letters
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fall — the season
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a signal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — magic
  24. craft — a skill

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