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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — the underground
  10. firm — a company
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. craft — boats
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wax — to grow
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — steady
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — decided

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