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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. file — a tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. object — to protest
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. last — final
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — a thing
  12. last — finally
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — a skill
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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