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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. wound — an injury

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