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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — to grow
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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