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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — a contest
  3. mine — for digging
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. capital — a city
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. capital — money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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