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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · wax · game · race · chest · hand · craft · mug

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — boats
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. race — humankind
  17. hand — help
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mug — a cup

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