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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kid — child
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cue — for pool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wax — to grow

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