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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: stick · wax · bass · last · fork · wound · cell · craft

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. last — to go on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — finally
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cell — a phone
  20. last — final
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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