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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. plane — a tool
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mark — a trace
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wax — to grow
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — a line
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. clip — for paper
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. clip — a video
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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