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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kid — child

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