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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. key — in music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. shower — rain
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. shower — to wash
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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