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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: craft · bark · wax · file · wave · jam · toast · spell

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — letters
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a tool
  22. toast — bread
  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