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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. last — finally
  21. board — to get on
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — soda
  24. last — final

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