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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: wax · kid · lie · ball · craft · bear · tube · land

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — to grow
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — ground
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — to tease
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — child
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. land — a country
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. land — to come down

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