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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mug — a face
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — boats
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — of a river
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. tear — from crying
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tear — to rip

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