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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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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 · can · toast · race · wax · content · stick · bear

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. content — happy
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. race — a contest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. can — to be able to
  18. race — humankind
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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