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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — for golf
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — government
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — a group
  20. rule — a law
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. craft — a handicraft

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