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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 116 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: march · mate · current · bear · fork · wax · craft · shower

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. craft — a skill
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mate — a partner
  13. current — electric
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — to breed
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — a handicraft

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