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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 120 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: rush · hide · bound · mate · wax · craft · bear · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bound — tied together
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — to grow
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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