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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. band — a ring
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. object — a thing
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — an aim
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. object — to protest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wound — an injury

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