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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — to come from
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — the time now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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