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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. suit — in cards
  11. capital — money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for dancing
  19. capital — a city
  20. club — for golf
  21. degree — temperature
  22. club — a group
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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