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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wax — to grow
  5. craft — boats
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — soda
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. rest — a break

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