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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cap — a lid
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mate — a partner
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mate — a friend
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — for light

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