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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — magic
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — final
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. last — to go on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fine — all right
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mark — a grade

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