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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. root — the cause
  3. wax — to grow
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. plane — a tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — a break
  13. root — of a word
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bass — low music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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