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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: mine · craft · bulb · cabinet · nail · rock · wax · ground

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — boats
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — for digging
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bulb — of a plant

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