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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · date · bay · sharp · saw · craft · wax · mark

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a grade
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wax — for sculpting

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