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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: land · bore · lash · wax · craft · mine · fan · ball

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — boats
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — to come down
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. land — ground
  18. mine — for digging
  19. craft — a skill
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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