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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. club — for golf
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — government
  19. club — a group
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. press — to push
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wind — moving air

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