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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — a stone
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — to grow
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — wild animals
  16. snap — to click
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. game — a match
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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