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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — an aim
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — a thing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — ground
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — to come down
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stem — to come from

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