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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pit — a hole
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — in sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — after costs
  20. key — in music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — a tool

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