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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — to come from
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — hasty
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tube — a container

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