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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: craft · bear · press · squash · face · wax · bulb · firm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. squash — to crush
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — decided
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — steady
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. face — to point toward
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. firm — a company
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bear — to put up with

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