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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. game — wild animals
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — in music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — side of the head

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