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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
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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: wax · hide · capital · craft · nail · straw · land · pit

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. land — to come down
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. land — ground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. craft — boats
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. capital — money
  15. pit — in a race
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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