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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. swing — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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