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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 · bay · snap · face · calf · nail · wax · chip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — to confront
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. craft — boats
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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