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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — a phone

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