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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: drill · staff · prune · craft · net · firm · wax · shower

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. craft — a skill
  3. firm — steady
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. staff — employees
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — rain
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — to wash
  17. net — in sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  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