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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. shower — rain
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. ground — the earth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. craft — a skill
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — boats
  12. present — the time now
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ground — a position
  19. scale — in music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a committee
  22. ground — crushed
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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