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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kid — to tease
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. kid — child
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — a list
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pass — a permit

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