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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. club — for golf
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. drill — army training
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tear — to rip
  11. drill — the tool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mark — a grade
  23. craft — boats
  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