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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: fine · straw · wax · club · temple · cell · craft · row

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. row — a line
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — a phone
  5. row — to paddle
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. craft — boats
  8. club — for golf
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fine — all right
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wax — in the ear

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