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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wax — to grow
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. craft — boats
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — to eat with

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