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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — bread
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — a song
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fall — the season
  23. track — to keep track
  24. plane — in geometry

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