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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.

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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — for betting

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