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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.

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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: perch · file · wax · wake · key · bear · craft · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wake — a trail
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. file — a document
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — a skill

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