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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. land — ground
  6. wax — to grow
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce

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