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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — steady
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. firm — decided
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. kick — in football
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ball — a dance
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. firm — a company

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