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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. file — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wax — to grow
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. file — a document
  20. plane — a tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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