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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — clever
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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