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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — final
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — a practice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cue — a signal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stock — shares
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — finally
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wax — in the ear

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