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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cell — in biology
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. suit — clothes
  10. craft — boats
  11. season — of the year
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. season — in sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. wax — to grow
  24. suit — to fit

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