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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bowl — a football final

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