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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for golf
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chest — a box
  24. lie — an untruth

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