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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mouse — the animal

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