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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — to grow
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — a division
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lean — to bend
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mug — a cup
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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