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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fall — the season
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — a handicraft

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