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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. shower — rain
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. march — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. season — of the year
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wax — to grow
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — a tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — the season
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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