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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — all right
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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