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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — obliged
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — boats
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. file — a line of people
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. file — a tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bound — certain
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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