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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. suit — clothes
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — to grow
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. craft — a skill

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