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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chip — for betting
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — for baseball

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