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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
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: craft · mine · rush · fork · wound · wax · toast · arm

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — a skill
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. craft — boats
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. toast — bread
  22. mine — for digging
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — in the ear

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