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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — to grow
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bark — to shout
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ball — a great time
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — for sculpting

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