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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitch — completely
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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