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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 · wax · mate · pit · bear · rock · can · chest

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pit — in a race
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — boats
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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