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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rash — a series
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hand — help
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. craft — a skill

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