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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to click
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wax — to grow
  14. plane — a tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hand — help
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. craft — boats

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