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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: craft · wax · tear · chip · track · mouse · pit · arm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — boats
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — for betting
  24. arm — part of the body

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