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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — the season
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chip — for betting

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