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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. lean — thin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. kick — in football
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — of a plant

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