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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: bay · deal · rush · staff · sharp · wind · wax · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — boats
  4. staff — employees
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — to grow
  15. staff — a stick
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — in the ear

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