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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — rain
  15. clip — a video
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — a tool
  19. clip — to cut
  20. object — a thing
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — to lash out

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