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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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