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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · wax · mine · suit · fall · ball · wound · craft

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a great time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — boats
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fall — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — to grow

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