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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 120 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: lie · wax · game · craft · swing · scale · rock · mate

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. craft — boats
  4. rock — a stone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. swing — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — in music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — a handicraft

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