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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hand — help
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pop — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. craft — boats
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. object — an aim
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — all right
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — soda
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — a thing

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