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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. court — of law
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. court — of a king
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. plane — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rash — hasty
  18. court — for sport
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pop — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — for a lock
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pop — soda

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