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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wax — to grow
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — boats
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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