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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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bass — low music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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