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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · stand · scale · craft · deal · wax · spring · land

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — in music
  8. spring — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. land — to come down
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — size or range

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