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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — to be able to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — all right
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. file — a line of people
  22. plane — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  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