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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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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: field · present · key · jam · wax · craft · wave · bowl

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — boats
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. key — in music
  24. bowl — a football final

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