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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — in music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — for sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — to get on
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — a committee

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