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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. toast — bread
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spell — magic
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hand — help

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