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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — low music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. branch — of a bank

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