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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. rest — a break
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wake — a trail
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. track — a path
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — a song
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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