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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a path
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — hasty
  24. nail — on a finger

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