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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. craft — boats
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tube — in a tire

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