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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.

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: fine · present · ball · wax · bat · ruler · craft · wound

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a dance
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — all right
  13. present — the time now
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. present — a gift
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. present — there
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — a skill

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