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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
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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 · tear · saw · charge · mouse · clip · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — in control
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. clip — for paper
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. clip — a video
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. clip — to cut
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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