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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — magic
  20. bark — to shout
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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