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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: craft · bowl · tube · spell · suit · file · wax · mine

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — clothes
  3. file — a tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. tube — the underground
  7. craft — a skill
  8. file — a line of people
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — a container
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mine — for digging
  15. craft — boats
  16. file — a document
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. spell — letters

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