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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. stem — of a plant

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