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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lean — thin
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — of law
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. court — for sport
  24. mine — for digging

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