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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pit · wax · hand · shower · pass · arm · squash

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pass — a permit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hand — help
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wax — to grow

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