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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. chest — a box
  24. wax — for sculpting

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