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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: rash · tear · safe · pop · wind · wax · trunk · craft

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — boats
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — a series
  24. tear — to rip

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