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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.

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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: deal · saw · wax · lie · lean · bear · cap · craft

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — a lid
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lie — to recline
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lie — an untruth

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