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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. snap — to click
  3. wax — to grow
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rash — hasty
  8. foot — a measure
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rash — a series
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. craft — boats
  24. chair — to sit 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