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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. capital — money
  5. swing — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — magic
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for golf
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. club — a group
  22. spell — letters
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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