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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — to keep track
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spell — magic
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. track — a song
  11. fork — in a road
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — a path
  24. wax — in the ear

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