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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rest — a break
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. net — after costs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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