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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. craft — a skill
  5. drill — army training
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kid — child
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — boats
  24. dip — a sauce

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