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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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