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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 120 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 · press · season · lie · wax · bark · arm · ball

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. craft — boats
  4. season — in sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — a publisher
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — to push
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a great time
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a dance
  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