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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 116 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fall — the season
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kid — child
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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