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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. field — farmland
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — to sink
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. field — for sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — letters
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — a division
  24. field — a subject

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