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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pop — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pop — to visit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pop — soda
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. plane — in geometry

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