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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · spell · sharp · court · wax · shower

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. court — of law
  6. spell — magic
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. craft — a skill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. shower — rain
  15. spell — letters
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — in the ear

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