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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — a tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. scale — size or range

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