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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — to paddle
  3. club — for golf
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — a skill
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — boats
  21. wind — moving air
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. club — a group

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