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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — a country
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. land — ground
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — to come down
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — an untruth

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