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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — help
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — to recline

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