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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. wax — to grow
  2. root — of a word
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — of the year
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — in sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — the cause
  18. wound — an injury
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — boats
  21. mug — a cup
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. season — to add flavour
  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