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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. field — farmland
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. field — a subject
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. craft — boats
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hide — animal skin

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