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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. pit — a hole
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. scale — in music
  24. stock — a soup base

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