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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. net — for catching
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wax — to grow

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