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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. craft — boats
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — an explosive

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