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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: leaves · craft · wax · face · wake · pop · land · firm

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — ground
  4. wake — a trail
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — music
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — to confront
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — steady
  15. face — to point toward
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pop — to visit

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