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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bass — low music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. suit — in cards
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — clothes

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