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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: stick · spell · hide · craft · row · fall · toast · wax

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — letters
  6. row — a line
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — bread
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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